Get degree ideas using our A level explorer tool

Music (Popular, Contemporary & Commercial)

Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts

UCAS Code: W300 | Bachelor of Arts (with Honours) - BA (Hons)

Entry requirements


A level

C,C,C

Three A-Levels at grade C. All A-Level subjects accepted excluding General Studies. Points from AS and Key Skills are not counted.

Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)

MMM

BTEC Extended Diploma – Merit, Merit, Merit

UCAS Tariff

96

Minimum of five GCSEs grade C (these should normally include Maths and English Language). For applicants taking the reformed GCSE qualifications, we will consider the new grade 4 as being equivalent to a grade C. Minimum of 96 UCAS points is normally required. This equates to: * Three A-Levels at grade C. All A-Level subjects accepted excluding General Studies. Points from AS and Key Skills are not counted * BTEC Extended Diploma – Merit, Merit, Merit * BTEC Diploma – Distinction, Distinction We accept all equivalent UK and overseas qualifications including Advanced Diplomas, Irish Leaving Certificate, Scottish Highers, European, International and Welsh Baccalaureate, Abitur, Vitnemål and SAT/ACT. At least one of your Level 3 qualifications as listed above should normally be in Music and/or Music Technology. If you don’t have this experience, please contact our Admissions team for guidance. You should be able to demonstrate a good working understanding of music theory, even as a singer-songwriter. If you are a UK applicant you should attain a Grade 5 Music Theory qualification by the time you enrol with us (you don’t need it at the time you apply). We test your music theory skills at audition and if you score a high mark we may waive the requirement for a formal Grade 5 Music Theory qualification. If you are an overseas student you are also tested on your music theory ability at your audition and, if needs be, are advised about the steps to take if you need to improve.

You may also need to…

Attend an interview

Perform an audition

About this course


Course option

3years

Full-time | 2024

Subject

Music

This pathway of our practice-based, industry-focused course equips you with the skills, knowledge and experience needed for a sustained career in popular, contemporary and commercial music industries.

Through continuous support and feedback from professionally experienced tutors you develop your skills across performance, music creation and production along with essential music business knowledge and practical experience. Underpinned by a thorough understanding of music theory; you leave as a highly skilled and educated musician able to make decisions to take control of your career.

Number of places available each year: 20

Modules

/ YEAR ONE:
Instrumental/Vocal Technique 1 /
Music Creation Techniques 1 /
Music Production Techniques 1 /
Music Professional & Creative Practice 1 /
Popular Music Studies 1 /

// YEAR TWO:
Instrumental/Vocal Technique 2 /
Music Creation 2 /
Music Production 2 /
Music Professional & Creative Practice 2 /
Popular Music Studies 2 /

/// YEAR THREE:
The Music Professional /
Popular Music Research /
The Solo Performer (Option) /
The Sessions Musician (Option) /
The Music Creator (Opton) /
The Producer (Option)

Assessment methods

Most modules are assessed by practical portfolio submissions of songs, compositions, productions and performances. You also produce a final research paper relevant to your interests and career.

Practical/written work ratio

80% practical work / 20% written assignments

Tuition fees

Select where you currently live to see what you'll pay:

Channel Islands
£9,250
per year
England
£9,250
per year
EU
£19,500
per year
International
£19,500
per year
Northern Ireland
£9,250
per year
Republic of Ireland
£9,250
per year
Scotland
£9,250
per year
Wales
£9,250
per year

The Uni


Course location:

Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts

Department:

Performing Arts

Read full university profile

What students say


We've crunched the numbers to see if overall student satisfaction here is high, medium or low compared to students studying this subject(s) at other universities.

67%
Music

How do students rate their degree experience?

The stats below relate to the general subject area/s at this university, not this specific course. We show this where there isn’t enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.

Music

Teaching and learning

79%
Staff make the subject interesting
76%
Staff are good at explaining things
76%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
84%
Opportunities to apply what I've learned

Assessment and feedback

Feedback on work has been timely
Feedback on work has been helpful
Staff are contactable when needed
Good advice available when making study choices

Resources and organisation

72%
Library resources
77%
IT resources
79%
Course specific equipment and facilities
49%
Course is well organised and has run smoothly

Student voice

Staff value students' opinions
Feel part of a community on my course

Who studies this subject and how do they get on?

65%
UK students
35%
International students
49%
Male students
51%
Female students
88%
2:1 or above
12%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

B
B
B

After graduation


The stats in this section relate to the general subject area/s at this university – not this specific course. We show this where there isn't enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.

Music

What are graduates doing after six months?

This is what graduates told us they were doing (and earning), shortly after completing their course. We've crunched the numbers to show you if these immediate prospects are high, medium or low, compared to those studying this subject/s at other universities.

£16,000
med
Average annual salary
92%
low
Employed or in further education
45%
med
Employed in a role where degree was essential or beneficial

Top job areas of graduates

48%
Artistic, literary and media occupations
15%
Sales, marketing and related associate professionals
9%
Other elementary services occupations

What about your long term prospects?

Looking further ahead, below is a rough guide for what graduates went on to earn.

Music

The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.

£13k

£13k

£16k

£16k

£20k

£20k

Note: this data only looks at employees (and not those who are self-employed or also studying) and covers a broad sample of graduates and the various paths they've taken, which might not always be a direct result of their degree.

Share this page

This is what the university has told Ucas about the criteria they expect applicants to satisfy; some may be compulsory, others may be preferable.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

This is the percentage of applicants to this course who received an offer last year, through Ucas.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

This is what the university has told Ucas about the course. Use it to get a quick idea about what makes it unique compared to similar courses, elsewhere.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

Course location and department:

This is what the university has told Ucas about the course. Use it to get a quick idea about what makes it unique compared to similar courses, elsewhere.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF):

We've received this information from the Department for Education, via Ucas. This is how the university as a whole has been rated for its quality of teaching: gold silver or bronze. Note, not all universities have taken part in the TEF.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

This information comes from the National Student Survey, an annual student survey of final-year students. You can use this to see how satisfied students studying this subject area at this university, are (not the individual course).

This is the percentage of final-year students at this university who were "definitely" or "mostly" satisfied with their course. We've analysed this figure against other universities so you can see whether this is high, medium or low.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

This information is from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), for undergraduate students only.

You can use this to get an idea of who you might share a lecture with and how they progressed in this subject, here. It's also worth comparing typical A-level subjects and grades students achieved with the current course entry requirements; similarities or differences here could indicate how flexible (or not) a university might be.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

Post-six month graduation stats:

This is from the Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education Survey, based on responses from graduates who studied the same subject area here.

It offers a snapshot of what grads went on to do six months later, what they were earning on average, and whether they felt their degree helped them obtain a 'graduate role'. We calculate a mean rating to indicate if this is high, medium or low compared to other universities.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

Graduate field commentary:

The Higher Education Careers Services Unit have provided some further context for all graduates in this subject area, including details that numbers alone might not show

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

The Longitudinal Educational Outcomes dataset combines HRMC earnings data with student records from the Higher Education Statistics Agency.

While there are lots of factors at play when it comes to your future earnings, use this as a rough timeline of what graduates in this subject area were earning on average one, three and five years later. Can you see a steady increase in salary, or did grads need some experience under their belt before seeing a nice bump up in their pay packet?

Have a question about this info? Learn more here